The Penn's Grove record., 1887-01-15

your explanatlOn-7hO -
can be called-of the lrecent roppeIles
from your regiment isl SO very unsaeis'
factory that l consider IL necessary 70
investigate the matter pm q spot. Tue
idea Of natives Stealing rifles from a
tent occupied at the thine by British
soldiers seems prepostdrous. There ap-
Desrs To be gross Negligence some.
where"
This threw a TEMPORARY gloom over
ma The coloRel hadfno excuse worth
a button to offer. the rides were stolen
from under the very noses Q q SOL
diers-and that was pr n OF ~. 10
urge the skill and gentu OF the thieves
as a palliation would 81 mply De chllu lsh,
so the colonel wisely l4ft things as tney
we're.
Every New Years iiay the regiment
held a grand tamaslta, consisting OF
horse racing, tent pdgging, etc, anu
winding nm with a ball, to which all
the elite of the neighhlorhood were invl-
fed. New Years day was approaching,
and we were making elaborate prepara-
lions to do things on q scale OF surpass-
ing m~agnifcence on tslis occasion. we
had all contributed more IMAM u
means fairly allowed towards defIaylng
expenses, and 1t was 6enerally Delleved
that even Stingy SteeIpie would, Tor the
credit of the corps. fork out hand
somely. The colonel headed q llst
with 200 rupees. :,
1--WE are going on sfwimmingly," said
Carter. as he handed Is the subscrip-
ton list. c~ontainirE 1000 rupees.
ssThat's not to be S heezed at. Now,
as I have 80 far Dor the purden anu
heat of the day, l pect some OF you
fellows to relieve fle. WHOM Try
StingyP You all XII " l am not In his
good graces, and he would be sure TO
refuse me-"
and me-aud melp added several.
ssITl try him; give me the llst," l
said. UIf he plyes mes nothing he won't
eat me.o
. Carter had previously written out
the names of all the officers or the regi-
ment, beginning With the colonel, 80
that a subscriber haa simply TO MI IN
the amount of his subpcriptlon aIter MS
name. List in hanp, ana, l aus
admit, with a good deat OF timlolty, L
approached the majorfs bungalow, lie
was seated In the versndah, IN undress.
poring over the Pioteer. He greeted
me with an interrogative weir"
ssThe sports committee have deputed
me. sir. to present their subscription
list to you, the colonel leading OH with
30 ~rupees.o
"Humph-hand it acre"
1 handed his ogreship the list, upon
which, after a hurried glance, he PEN
ciled something, folded the paper and
returned it to me.
"Many thanks-yery many thanks,
Major"
"You seem to have precious little to
dor he quietly reuYarked. "Parade
your company for 15y lnspectieR IN
their new clothing In an hours time!o
That was enough 60 make a saint
swear.
turned away with my blood at boil
ing point,
Carter opened the list. Major So,
and the naught was the size Of a SIX
pence.
What a volley of ~imprecations against
old Coppernose greeted the announce
menI +.
Hes a disgrace to the corps" said
Spires, the Junior lieutenant "I'd
gladly risk all chances of promotion
ay, even my commissioned pay HIM
| Off. But the difficulty is how to do 1t. ?"
Carter was in a blown study, no
doubt incubating a sol ltion of the SAID
difficulty. We waited expectantly.
Gentlemen he ssaid, somewhat
sententiously, 81 havs7a idea, and, as
we are all in the swim, l depend on you
to stand by me in cass anything serious
should arise when SAID idea bears fruit
IN action"
go on, Charlie; well stand by you,
never fear" we answered.
He procee led. well, you see. old
Coppernose has ESCAPED the hill thieves
so far-more's the pity. 1t is no secret
that he keeps a loaded revolver and a
drawn sabre on the table at his bedside;
besides, his bearer (body servant) sleeps
at his bedfoot, also armed, so that.
without enlis.ing the latter as an ac-
complete, it wpuld be impossible to rob
him, which l intend to do"
Don't say 'rob,' Charlie-'convey,'
the wise it call" S~hakesperian Spires
iaterpolated.
Holt your tongue. Now, as his
bearer is about my size and build, l
purpose blackhg my face, arraying my
self in the fellows copra and turDan,
aud doing ''s,ntry go" tonight over
the major. l IAN easily win the fellow
over with a Substantial bride. When
old Steenie issound asleep I'll first Sc
cue the arm, and then remove every
blessed thing can lay hands on-even
the sheet he aeeps on; see II | DON'T"
bravo, Chrliel" we all exclaimed.
''Bet you agold mohur you shy out
of it, said yong Spires.
"Donel' and they shook hands on
the bet.
Much chucaing and rubbing of
hands ensued.
"Be quiet, I'LL you; I've not done
yet.D spoke Carter. "You know to-
morrow is thafirst of the month; con-
sequently, muser parade to day, and If
| succeed, whih l am resolved to do,
old Coppernos@won't have a single rag
to put on him consequently, will lose
his mouths pa-Qaod erat d~enlonstran-
dtHn.n
''Loss of the months pay Will be the
unkindest cut 4 all" remarked Spires,
and the idea OF the comieal figure the
choleric major soud cut in the norm
ing set us all laughing.
need hardly iay hat the programme
sketched out " Outer was received
with hearty appoyaA and we separated,
bound to strict ecH v, and with a re-
solve to meet atdssh next day in the
mess anteroom to l2rn the upshot OF
the nights adventat-
We had all assem-, sd before6 O'Clock
in the ante-room, " ing Charles re-
port. What was de%sing hinP Surely
he had not deceivedgs and allowed the
scheme, a triumph tsinventive genius,
to fall through
Guess he funke at the last mo-
ment. as / fear 1 a,nid have DONE"
said Spires, $50 Ilse a gold mohur
the richer"
Here the bare-iead mess waiter,
who for some little laas had been how
ering about, strobe Haa the utmost I'M.
pudence into the cinl. and salaaming
to the ground, adore q Spires:
"Sahib, you me ek 81 mohur glve,n
then executing a lehland fling, he
burst out into a hyb1. medley common